Jane sputtered, her eyes widening into saucers, "you WHAT?"

Maura had to fight to keep her composure, although the only thing she wanted to do was disappear beneath her desk. "I mean, theoretically speaking, it would solve a lot of our problems."

Jane stared at Maura as if she'd grown horns. "How do you figure that?" Her mouth had gone dry.

"Well, we both have been…lacking certain things in our life, and we're both either too busy, or just not finding the right people, or not wanting to commit. And I just…Oh come on Jane, have you honestly never thought about it?"

Jane sunk lower in her chair, nervously tugging on one of the black curls that had fallen over her shoulder. "Thought about sleeping with you?" She tried to make that statement sound absurd, but failed. The truth was, she had.

"Not just me. Sleeping with someone that you had chemistry with, but that was convenient. Someone you didn't have to commit to, but you were comfortable with. No awkward dates, no trying to figure out boundaries…just pure sex."

If Jane's mouth was dry before it was parched now. She struggled to swallow as she looked over at her best friend sitting across from her. Maura looked troubled, as if she had opened a can of worms she wasn't ready to deal with. Jane, quite frankly, felt the same.

"Well, sure…doesn't everyone?"

Maura chewed on her lip, not knowing what to say.

"Maur…I'm not gay," Jane said in an almost strangled voice, the words sounding foreign on her tongue. She definitely liked guys…most of the time. But hadn't all women fantasized about being with another woman? About being with someone that understood their body?

"Neither am I."

"Well…this doesn't sound like something straight friends would do."

"We don't have to, I was just, I'm sorry. This was extremely unprofessional of me Jane, just forget I ever brought it up please."

Jane looked over at Maura and sighed, "Maur don't retreat into that professional bullshit. We're more than just colleagues,"

Maura shook her head, "of course Jane, but I still went too far."

Jane felt like pulling her hair out. Part of her wanted to agree with Maura, that she went too far. But the other part of her understood Maura completely. For once the woman actually made sense. And not only that, Jane couldn't deny the amount of times she'd questioned herself around her friend. How many times had she wanted to kiss her? Wanted to watch as she undressed instead of politely looking away? Jane and Maura had something, they'd just chosen to keep it platonic.

With a sigh Maura stood up, smoothing down her dress with shaking hands. "I'm sorry to have bothered you Jane,"

Jane stood as well, but stepped in front of Maura's path so she was trapped in the office. This was it. This was the leap of faith. The flip of the coin. The moment of truth. Whatever the fuck it was.

"Your place, tonight?"

Maura froze, reaction identical to what Jane's had been when Maura first proposed the idea. Maura numbly nodded her head, "I'll order take out…"

Jane smiled, feeling the anxiety in her stomach lessen slightly. "I'll bring beer."